History Trivia / Aliens

* {{Defictionalization}}: The Power Loader, brought to you by [[https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbncXbXlaNQdNCQQcsvVZx7HTsbLbap2j Hacksmith Industries]]. Funny enough, [[TheRedStapler some places wanted to buy power loaders when the film was released.]]

** Jeanette Goldstein (Vasquez) and Mark Ralston (Drake) became BashBrothers in real life during filming, sharing the experience of being attached to their gun harnesses with [[DuctTapeForEverything gaffer tape]] every day. This was the only way to get the modified steadicam harnesses to stay on. The actors were even discouraged from needing the bathroom all day long because of the time and difficulty of getting the harnesses off and on again.

* RecycledSoundtrack: Though he was ultimately nominated for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for his work, Music/JamesHorner was crafting the soundtrack so late into the process of making the movie (due to it being rushed into a summer release) that a few sections had to be filled with stock music from Music/JerryGoldsmith's ''Film/{{Alien}}'' score. The most obvious instance of this in the film is during Ripley and Newt's elevator escape from the Queen.

** Al Mathews plays Sgt Apone. According to his official website he was "the first black Marine in the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam to be meritoriously promoted to the rank of sergeant."

* BeamMeUpScotty: Ripley doesn't say "Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure," she says "I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." What's worse is that the line is often attributed only to Hicks instead, who was repeating it in concurrence with Ripley.

** Carrie Henn, who played Newt, has said that she hates the line "They mostly come at night. Mostly." Mainly because her friends mocked her delivery with various derivatives. [[note]]E.G. "We mostly go to the movies at night. Mostly."[[/note]]

** When Hicks asks Ripley how long it has been since she slept, she pessimistically tells him, "They'll get us." He responds with, "Maybe. Maybe not."

* DevelopmentGag: Hudson teases Vasquez by saying "When they said 'alien', she thought they said 'illegal alien' and signed up." Vasquez's actress Jenette Goldstein actually did make that mistake; she showed up to the auditions dressed as a migrant worker.

*** In the prequel/demo, the Zerg are labelled "Xenomorphs." Their [[YouWillBeAssimilated ability to "infest" Terran command centers]] (and, later, any Terran building) was inspired by the xenomorphs making the Atmo processor their hive.

** One episode of ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' has Cartman watching the film on TV, and really liking the delivery of "They mostly come at night. Mostly."

* RecycledSoundtrack: Though he was ultimately nominated for an UsefulNotes/AcademyAward for his work, Music/JamesHorner was crafting the soundtrack so late into the process of making the movie (due to it being rushed into a summer release) that a few sections had to be filled with stock music from Music/JerryGoldsmith's ''Film/{{Alien}}'' score. The most obvious instance of this in the film is during Ripley and Newt's elevator escape from the Queen.

* TheWikiRule: [[http://avp.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Xenopedia]] has information on ''Franchise/{{Alien}}'', ''Franchise/{{Predator}}'', and ''Franchise/AlienVsPredator''.

* TropeNamer;
** GameOverMan
** ItsTheOnlyWayToBeSure
** StayFrosty
** VasquezAlwaysDies
** XenomorphXerox

* CreatorChosenCasting: Creator/BillPaxton was cast as Hudson after a chance encounter with Creator/JamesCameron at Los Angeles International Airport, during which he mentioned he would be interested in a role. The studio supported his casting because of positive feedback for his performance in ''Film/WeirdScience''.

* BTeamSequel: To Creator/RidleyScott's ''Film/{{Alien}}''. Hard as it is to imagine now, Creator/JamesCameron was a newcomer when he was tapped for this film; his filmography at the time had only spanned a few years and mostly consisted of under-the-radar B-movies, with his only major breakthrough prior to ''Aliens'' being ''Film/TheTerminator'', just two years prior.

** For that matter, the scene where Ripley confronts Burke about being responsible for the death of the colonists doesn't make a lot of sense in the Theatrical Cut due to its context (a member of the company ''deliberately'' sent the colonists looking for the derelict ship where the Alien eggs were laid) only being previously discussed in a deleted scene. Nowhere else in the film does it explore ''why'' the colony was attacked and it's implied that Ripley (and hence the Marines) believe that it was only a matter of time due to the invasive nature of the Xenomorphs. The Extended Edition available for home viewing reinserts the scene which helps the viewer understand what Ripley is talking about. Most of the other deleted (and later reinserted) scenes are unnecessary to understand the plot and themes, so it's a little strange that their wasn't a quick reshoot or at least a brief ADR to explain this plot point.

* OrphanedReference: Ripley shouting that they're going to nail Burke "right to the wall for this!" is supposed to foreshadow his death--being cocooned to the wall of the alien hive. However, that scene was deleted from the final cut of the film.

* StarMakingRole: Subverted with Creator/MichaelBiehn. Despite well-received roles in both this and ''Film/TheTerminator'', he wasn't launched onto anything bigger afterwards. He regrets turning down ''Film/NearDark'' which was offered to him almost immediately after this in favour of ''The Seventh Sign'' and ''Rampage'' - which were critical and commercial failures and killed off a lot of momentum for him.
** Averted with Carrie Henn who played Newt, who decided that she didn't want to be an actress and became a teacher.

* FakeBrit:
** Played with. Newt is meant to be American and Carrie Henn is likewise American. However her family had lived in England for a while and she had picked up a hybrid between the two accents - which is audible in a few scenes.
** Played completely straight with William Hope, the actor who plays Gorman. Gorman is stated to be American, but Hope is actually Canadian.

* WordOfGod: According to Creator/JamesCameron, Drake and Vasquez are childhood friends who grew up in a slum together - and they're serving in the marines as an alternative to prison.

* AwesomeDearBoy: Creator/SigourneyWeaver had turned down offers to do sequels to ''Alien'' for years, afraid of {{Sequelitis}}. However once she saw the script - particularly the motherly bond between Ripley and Newt - she signed on immediately.

* ImageSource: This film provides the page image for:
** AwesomePersonnelCarrier
** EnemyRisingBehind
** FiveFingerFillet
** MamaBear

* QuoteSource: for ''AmmunitionConservation.''